Abstract: This essay discusses two issues re la ted to causation in the law s on homicide contained in the Tang, Ming, and Qing codes. Material is drawn from the Tang code, as well as the Ming and Qing codes. The earlier code takes the same approach to causal questions as the later two. The main differences are, first, the nature of the terms used and, second, a more extensive use of explic it causal language in the later codes, especially in the Qing code and its commentaries

摘要： 在唐、明、清法律之中,词语以故或因包含三方面的指涉:兼含死亡原因和刑责理由的特定因素;间接的作用性原因;因果关系链。同样,至与致之间也存在一种细微却重要的含义差别:前者是一种清楚的因果措辞,表示死亡是特定行为(例如殴打)的结果;后者乃从一种事实的——并非因果关系的——角度看待受害者的死亡。